The Los Angeles Dodgers front office under president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has kept the organization in position to annually compete with their Major League roster while also maintaining one of the top farm systems in the sport.
However, there have been instances where it appeared Friedman, despite his assertion otherwise, that the team exercised financial restraint or prioritized future flexibility too heavily.
What was apparent last offseason is the Dodgers looked to get below the luxury tax threshold for the 2023 season in order to reset their penalties as a repeat offender. That’s not expected to be their approach this winter with the likes of Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto available in free agency, coupled with the Dodgers’ back-to-back years of disappointing playoff performances.
“From our standpoint, which has been our mindset and the great fortune that our ownership has provided us, is to be aggressive to go out and put the best team on the field that we can,” Friedman recently said.
“Obviously we’re extremely angry and disappointed with how these last two offseasons have gone, and we’re going to do everything we can to put ourselves in position for it not to happen again next year. What that means exactly, I’m not sure.”
Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes have both identified starting pitching as the Dodgers’ biggest need. L.A. is among the teams believed to have interest in adding multiple starters.
Yamamoto certainly fits the bill as a high-impact pitcher the Dodgers are in need of, but beyond him there isn’t much clarity. Under normal circumstances the group would include Ohtani as well but he won’t pitch until 2025 at the earliest because of a second Tommy John surgery.
The Dodgers reportedly have discussed a Dylan Cease trade with the Chicago White Sox, and are said to have interest in Corbin Burnes if the Milwaukee Brewers look to move their ace.
Andrew Friedman ‘obsessed’ to sign Ohtani
Ohtani undeniably is the headliner of MLB free agency this winter, and Friedman has been described as being “obsessed” with signing the two-way superstar.
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